iOS 5 beta 2 adds nine new features

A new beta has been released for Apple’s iOS 5. Announced at Apple’s developer’s conference at the beginning of the month, iOS 5 is said to offer 200 new features. We already know a bit about Notification Center, iMessage, the split keyboard for the iPad, and a texting shortcut. However, with the iOS 5 beta 2 recently released to developers, we’re being clued in on some more of the new features of the mobile operating system.

Here’s what’s new:

Users will be able to choose between two different styles of notifications. The first option is the traditional alert that lies on top of the screen, as it does in iOS 4 right now. This option requires the user to deselect it for it to disappear from the screen. These alerts feature slightly large print that’s paired with the icon for the related app. If you don’t dismiss them after a few seconds, the alerts will switch over to the traditional lock-screen alert that stack one on top of the other (as shown above). The other option is the new Android-like notifications banner that was mentioned during the WWDC keynote. The notification will appear briefly at the top of the screen for a couple of seconds and then will go back into the Notifications pull-down bar without you having to dismiss the message.

The new BlackBerry Messenger-like messaging app, iMessage, will feature a keyboard that will retreat to the bottom of the screen and out of view while you’re scrolling through your messages.

Though it’s not a huge addition, the iCloud icon has changed from the purple one seen in the first iOS beta to the brushed chrome one we’re seeing now in all iCloud marketing info.

Wi-Fi syncing with iTunes 10.5 is up and running.

The font in text messages looks much cleaner.

Apple has blocked Applenberry’s Gevey SIM software, which allows you to unlock the iPhone 4 if iOS 4.3 or 5 beta 1 is running, without having to jailbreak it. The Gevey is a SIM that acts as an intermediary by sitting between your actual SIM card and the phone’s hardware. You have to have the Gevey SIM in your phone to be able to use the “jailbroken” iPhone.

There’s a new photo album feature in iOS 5 beta 2 that allows you to build and curate photo albums straight from their iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. However, the feature is said to have its faults. Apparently, if you put one photo into an album, it will also remain in the original collection. If you only want the photo to stay in the new album, and you delete it from the old album, it will delete both copies.

A beta tester checking for updates on an iPad using iOS 5 beta 2 was greeted with a message saying that no updates were found. This suggests that over-the-air updates may be coming in the future.

Of course, we have to rely on the hard-working beta testers to give us a peek into the world of iOS 5, so if there are any other beta testers out there who have discovered additional tips or features, please let us know.

Speak Your Mind

Actually, the choice of notification style AND the creation of photo galleries were both in iOS 5 beta 1. They’re not new.

Gaussianblur

Side by side with my fiances iphone 4, it looks like the screen brightness or color has been adjusted to look more sharp or crisp. Anyone else see this?

Mert

There are some failures that have been fixed:
1) You couldnt save MMS images. ( save image button didnt work)
2) After recieving alot SMS and sending alot SMS your phone calls and messages gets blocked so that you cannot recieve and send SMS and you cannot make phone calls or recieve any.

Another thing is after i paired my bluetooth with my car i could make phone calls but when i recieve any i couldnt hear anything plus i couldnt accept the call. I didnt check this yet but after i check this failure i’ll post the result here.

Mert

Yep, thats true. They adjusted brightness and color to look more sharp. Also they changed the font in messages to make them look more crisp